Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Women's Lax Holds off Leopards' Charge, Wins 13-12 in Easton
3/30/2016 9:54:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
EASTON, Pa. -- Emily Becker scored five goals, Christina Manis logged three goals and three assists, and Rennie Tankersley made a critical defensive play with a minute left in a one-goal game, sending the Bucknell women's lacrosse team to a tense 13-12 victory over Lafayette on Wednesday night at Fisher Stadium.
The Bison seemed to be in complete control with a 13-6 lead with about 20 minutes to play, but they had to hang on for dear life as All-Patriot League midfielder Kirsten Wilhelmsen sparked a six-goal surge to bring the Leopards within one with 6:52 to play. Bucknell never gave up the lead, however, as Jamie DeWitt made two big saves to protect the one-goal cushion, and then Tankersley checked the ball away from Wilhelmsen at the side of the cage with 1:05 left.
DeWitt scooped up the ground ball and Annie Gilbertson ran out the clear, and the Bison were able to drain the rest of the clock. They did have a late shot saved by Anna Raymond, but Manis hustled down the ground ball with 11 seconds remaining.
The victory pushed Bucknell's overall record to 8-3 and its Patriot League record to 2-1. Those are the team's best records at this point in the season since the 2009 squad started 8-3 and 3-0. The Bison improved to 5-1 on the road -- their most road wins since 2008 -- and snapped a six-game series losing streak to Lafayette (4-6, 1-2).
Bucknell is now one of four teams at 2-1 in the Patriot League, trailing 3-0 Loyola and 3-1 Boston University.
Becker and Manis both had six-point nights, as Becker recorded an assist to go with her career-high-tying five goals. Gretchen Richter enjoyed another big game with three goals and five draw controls. Ally Furbay and Sam Rickels also scored for the Bison, and defender Lucia Smircich had a game-high four caused turnovers.
Bucknell was excellent defensively in settled 7-on-7 situations, as the majority of Lafayette's goals came on free-position attempts, where it was 5-for-7, and in transition. DeWitt finished with six saves and six ground balls, and the defense kept the Leopards off the scoreboard for the game's first 18:12.
The Bison scored four times in that span -- two each from Becker and Richter -- to go up 4-0. Emma Novick finally put Lafayette on the board at the 11:48 mark, but Furbay answered for Bucknell. Ashley Tedesco's man-up goal pulled the Leopards within 5-4, but a big goal from Becker off a Manis feed 2:48 before halftime made it a two-goal game at the break.
Bucknell was on fire in the first 10 minutes of the second half, highlighted by one remarkable flurry that saw the Bison score three goals in 17 seconds. Rickels made a precise feed through traffic for a quick-stick goal from Manis to make it 9-5 with 25:00 to play. Rickels nabbed the next draw control and sprinted to the cage for an unassisted tally at 24:50, and then another Rickels draw control led to a pretty passing sequence and a Manis finish off a Maddy Molinari assist at 24:43.
Two more goals from Manis and Becker gave Bucknell the 13-6 lead with 19:59 remaining, but things started to go south over the next 14 minutes. The Bison endured a rash of turnovers and also missed three shots from point-blank range, and Lafayette was able to capitalize.
Wilhelmsen, the Patriot League's leading goal-scorer, had been held in check to that point, but she scored four times in the Leopards' six-goal flurry. She might have had more, but when the score was 13-10 DeWitt made a key save, and three minutes later Smircich drew a charge.
Wilhelmsen scored on a free-position attempt to make it 13-11 with 9:12 to go, and after two saves by Raymond, Hannah Davey made it a one-goal game on yet another conversion from the 8-meter arc with 6:52 to play.
Richter won the draw for Bucknell, but the Bison turned the ball over three times in the next four minutes. Lafayette called timeout with 1:51 remaining and set up a play for Wilhelmsen. Richter forced Wilhelmsen to peel away at the right side of the crease, and Tankersley pounced in to steal the ball away. Tankersley steered the loose ball to DeWitt inside the circle, and Bucknell made one final clear.
Bucknell finished with a 30-20 shot advantage and led 16-11 in draw controls and 18-15 in ground balls.
Wilhelmsen finished with five goals for Lafayette, giving her 36 on the season. Manis became Bucknell's third 40-point scorer this season, joining Lukowski and Molinari.
The Bison came in leading the nation in assists per game (9.6), and they had nine more assists on 13 goals in this one. Manis moved into the No. 5 spot on Bucknell's career assists chart with 48. Lukowski and Manis now have 23 assists apiece this season, tied for fifth-most on Bucknell's single-season charts.
Becker entered her senior year with 10 career goals, but now she has two five-goal games and 27 goals this season alone.
Bucknell will be back in action on Saturday at home against Holy Cross at 1 p.m.
